Pantone’s 2012 Color of the Year has been making the rounds on various websites and was even featured on the Yahoo! homepage at one point. It’s a vibrant orange-red called “Tangerine Tango.”

But Pantone is not the only company with a color forecast for next year. This past fall, Benjamin Moore revealed its palette for 2012, which features colors that seem reflective of the uncertainty still lingering in the country as it struggles to recover and of perhaps the desire for comfort and the familiar in these troubling times.

Among them are tranquil blues with a green and/or gray cast, such as the company’s top pick, Wythe Blue HC-143,

Montpelier AF-555 and a slightly purplish Amethyst Shadow 1411.

The forecast also calls for an array of grays, some of which have names suggestive of a more sober and subdued—but not necessarily depressed—mood: Nimbus Gray 2131-50 and Storm Cloud Gray 2140-30. And then there’s Sharkskin 2139-30.

Naturally, with the economy still up in the air and a future somewhat nebulous, one may find oneself yearning for clarity and purity—whites are still popular—as well as an emotional anchor, especially at home. Why not try on a rich earth tone, such as French Press AF-170,

Farm Fresh AF-360,

Masada AF-220,

Dunmore Cream HC-29 or Fresh Olive 2149-30.

And for a hit of color, the 2012 forecast offers up Gypsy Love 2085-30 and Persimmon 2088-40.

I went to a press event the other night in New York City. INAX, a Japanese corporation, was introducing its incredibly gorgeous line of water saving toilets to the U.S. market.
An incredibly gorgeous TOILET? I’m guessing that the only people who can get jazzed about a toilet are the ones who are reading this blog, and you know who you are…
The Japanese are well-known for their sleek organic design, and INAX didn’t disappoint with its display of at least 30 or so modern and elegant toilets. All of them deliver either a dual or low-flow flush, and are WaterSense-certified. Beyond that, there were options like integrated bidet features, automatic flushes, deodorizers, music and motion sensors to automatically lift the lid or seat when approached! I should also mention some sexy blue LED lighting, and price points that range from reasonable to astronomical, depending on the features.

One of the first KBIS shows I ever went to many years ago opened my eyes to the world of THE GOOD FLUSH. I honestly never gave much thought to what makes a good toilet flush prior to that introduction by “another” toilet manufacturer. Men in white lab coats were flushing multiple hot-dog-shaped water balloons down a toilet and remarking on the “flushability.” I thought this was quite humorous until I installed a toilet in my home that continually clogged and occasionally overflowed. After replacing it with a new HET toilet, which I still have to this day, I have to say it’s never ever overflowed and has clogged maybe twice in 5 years. So I continually specify an HET toilet for my clients, and with the introduction of this beautiful new line from INAX, I’ve got so many more wonderful design choices.

One of the other great products that INAX was introducing was its line of ECOCARAT wall tiles. Made from a porous mineral called ALLOPHANE, the tiles are used to absorb excess humidity, odors and chemical VOCs. Great for public areas such as schools and restaurants, they are also great in residential settings, such as accent walls, to absorb household odors and repel mold growth. These tiles are also great installed in rooms designed for meditation or relaxation, purifying the air and promoting a sense of well being. They would be a boon for people with chemical sensitivities or small children, as INAX claims the tile will absorb chemicals such as formaldehyde.

I love this idea. It’s another very innovative way to include beautiful products that have a positive effect on the user and promote health and wellbeing. And isn’t that what good design is all about?

—Patricia Gaylor

Do you suffer from social networking fatigue? I know I do.

For many, the fatigue comes from doing all the work of posting content and thinking up new content only to see no results.

If you feel like you’ve been posting the same thing over and over again on Facebook, Twitter or Linkedin, you are probably not alone. I’m sure many readers feel that too much content is rehashed and repackaged.

Is your content boring?
Print out your last 20 posts and after a while take a look at them from a reader’s point of view. Are they dull? Do you say the same thing too many times? Fortunately, this problem can be fixed fairly easily.

Too many platforms?
Do you rush to join the newest social networking site only to lose track of who is in your network? If you don’t know who is in your network then how do you know what they want from you?

One-sided engagement?
Do you neglect to reply to comments other leave you? Do you post weak comments on other blogs and fan pages just to leave a link to your page? If you are not interesting, people will not click through.

I’d love to know if you are experiencing any social media fatigue and why you think that is. Leave a comment so I can know someone read this post and feel a little happier on the inside.

I’ll even post a few more questions to get the conversation started:

Do you think marketing contributes to the fatigue or does it feed your growing appetite for information?

Do you enjoy hearing from companies and brands you are a fan of? Are you dropping brands because they are cluttering your information stream?

—Ann Porter

Kevin Henry’s latest blog for this collaborative got me thinking. He wrote about the amount of choices we have today, not just limited to kitchen or bath design, but across the board. And how perhaps our choices are too many. Clients start to get that “glazed over” look when he starts to review all the options that are available in materials today. He also mentioned that you can’t even get a cup of coffee today without a plethora of choices, and although we are all fortunate to be able to have all these choices in a land of plenty, it can backfire on you.

This morning I picked up a design magazine that’s strictly focused on homes in my state. I won’t mention the name of the magazine, as I really like the folks who are associated with it (not to mention the fact that they have published several of my projects in the past), but some of the content leaves me shuddering. If overblown, over-done, over-the-top decorating (I won’t call it design) is what people want, stop the world, I wanna get off…

For some reason, people seem to equate large size, overdecorated grandiose rooms with good design. I’m guessing it started back in the ’80s with the emergence of the McMansion. I think I’ve mentioned before that I’ve been in and admittedly designed several homes that could double as bus terminals. Thankfully, this trend has gone away, replaced with better-scaled, more energy-efficient smaller homes.

The current economy has made most of us not only scale back, but there are still a lot of people out there who equate bigger with better. And designers who will load up these homes with way too much “stuff.” I’m talking not only about the living rooms and bedrooms, but also the kitchens. Are any of you designers out there still doing those huge “French”-style kitchens with tons of corbels, crown molding and center islands that you can’t even reach across? When I’m in one of these kitchens, I feel like I can’t breathe and that I’m being strangled by stuff.

Maybe you’re already thinking that I’m shooting myself in the foot by eschewing this type of work. The more stuff you pile in, the more money you make, right? Perhaps I have too much of a conscience, but I can’t do it anymore.

As a green designer, my first priority is to deliver a well-designed space that not only meets the needs and requests of my clients, but is also kinder and gentler to the planet. I can still do this and make money without going completely crazy with an over-the-top, overblown design.

Designing spaces with high-quality materials, energy-efficient appliances and lighting, as well as water-saving toilets and plumbing fixtures, can be just as beautiful and profitable, without all the overblown “stuff.” I love designing simple, classic kitchens that work. Kitchens that give me a good feeling when I walk into them, and let me breathe.

—Patricia Gaylor